Hiding the Pain
by WelshCanuck
Summary: Phoebe hides a painful secret from her sisters.....one shot short fic....


**Disclaimer: The Charmed Characters are the property of Aaron Spelling and Constance Burge. I just borrow them for your enjoyment and my writing addiction

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Phoebe sat at her desk pushing past the pain that had cropped up the night before. She wasn't even doing anything strenuous to cause an injury, but since she had woken up that morning her shoulder had been sore.

She sat back and rotated both shoulders to work out the kinks, when she saw the figure walking towards her. "Hey Paige. What brings you downtown?"

"You. Did you forget you were supposed to meet Piper and I at Golden Gate Park for a.. _vanquish_?" she added the last word almost silently not wanting any one in her sisters office to hear her.

Phoebe held Paige's look. "Oh god, I totally forgot Paige." She pushed herself from her desk and started around it, "Ok I'm ready lets go.

"No, we already took care of it, but Piper is _pissed_." Paige explained as she sat on the couch in Phoebes office.

Phoebe sat back down and looked over at Paige. "How pissed?"

"She was starting to bake cookies and clean the kitchen."

"At the same time?"

"Yup."

"Oh I'm dead." Phoebe rested her head in her hands, holding it there a moment to hide back the grimace of pain that suddenly shot through her shoulder.

Paige leaned forward. "Well you can make it up to her by watching the kids tonight."

"And I would be doing this because why?" She suddenly looked up at her sister.

"Because you love your nephews and she needs to go to the club. Something about her manager calling in sick."

"And you?"

"I am going to the club to have some needed fun." Paige got up and headed out the office door. "Call her. See ya sis."

"Bye Paige."

* * *

Phoebe ran up the steps to the Manor she shared with her sisters and made her way through the front entrance, "Anyone here?"

"Kitchen."

Phoebe cringed at the tone in Pipers voice. "Oh yeah she's still mad." As she made her way to the back of the Manor she lifted Wyatt up and held him on her hip. "Give me luck big guy and be prepared to orb us out if Mummy gets violent ok?"

"Well lookie who's here Chris, it's Auntie Phoebe." Piper said as she turned to her youngest son and let teh words drip off her tongue with sarcasim.

"Piper I'm sorry."

"Ok well, tell that to your nephews who almost became orphans today at the park."

"What? What happened?"

"See if you have been there you would known." Piper turned back to the sink not really wanting to be mad at her sister.

"Piper I said I was sorry. Look go to the club tonight I'll watch the kids."

"That will really make this better Phoebe." she turned on her younger sister, "We needed you there. What happened?"

"I just got lost at work it wasn't like I forgot completely. I was working away and the next thing I know Paige is walking in my office."

Piper looked at her sister. Something seemed off. "You ok?"

"Yeah I'm fine. You going to tell me what happened?"

"No." Piper dug her feet in with telling her sister what happened. She would have known if she showed up. "You look tired."

"Piper I'm fine. Ok maybe a little tired. I didn't sleep much last night." She placed Wyatt back down on the floor and sat on one of the chairs.

Piper sat across from her sister and took her hands in hers. "Go get some rest sweetie. I can stay home tonight."

"No you can't, and if you do you will worry all night and I won't get any rest anyway. Go we'll be fine."

Piper held Phoebes gaze a bit longer, "you sure?"

"Yes now go get ready, I have to order pizza."

"Nope, dinners on the stove." Piper leaned forward and gave Phoebe a quick kiss. "Love you. And don't _ever_ not show up for a vanquish again."

"Love you too and I won't. Now go."

* * *

The next morning Phoebe made her way into the shower, but as she reached up to wash her hair the pain shot through her shoulder like nothing she had ever felt before. Holding her left elbow with her right hand she relieved some of the pressure that was causing the pain to start with. Doing what she could with only one arm she finished her shower and made her way to the kitchen.

"Hey you, must have been a good night. I didn't even hear you guys coming home." She grabbed her mug of coffee and sat at the kitchen table.

"Yeah Paige closed P3 for me, but you wouldn't have heard her. She never came home last night."

Phoebe looked up at Piper and smiled. "Well. Go little sister."

"Yeah." Piper couldn't help but smile at her sisters' whirlwind romance she had discovered a few days before. "How were the boys last night?"

"Angels, as always."

Piper looked at her sister and laughed, "If they were holy terrors would you actually tell me?" she laughed though knowing what Phoebe would say.

"No." Phoebe got up and gave Piper a quick kiss, "I'm late, I'll see you tonight."

Piper watched as Phoebe left the Manor but just shock her head and laughed at her sister remark to her question.

* * *

Phoebe looked at another letter and then starred at her computer monitor. It hurt ever time she moved her arm forward to type. "This sucks. I am never gonna get this done on time."

"And that would be because why Phoebe?"

She looked up to see Elise standing at her door.

"The thoughts just aren't coming good today Elise. I'll get it."

"Better, you have less then an hour." She turned back out to the bullpen.

Phoebe turned and saw what she had. She knew what she wanted to write but it hurt to much. Then she got an idea.

--- -----

She popped her head in Elise office as the editor was getting out of he chair, "Phoebe I was just coming to get your column."

"Right here. And... I gotta go." Phoebe handed Elise a file with several hand written papers in it.

"Um Phoebe what is this?" she looked at the file and wasn't quite sure what to think

"My column?" Phoebe looked at her boss and friend

"Phoebe I can't run this. What were you thinking?"

Phoebe closed the office door and walked towards Elise. "Look Elise think of it as _Ask Phoebe_ getting personal with her readers. I can't type it."

"Why not?"

"Look just scan it and print it like that. It can be like a new look."

"Phoebe!"

"Elise, I've hurt my shoulder. I have been in there all day trying to type it out but I can't. It hurts to much and that was the only way to get it done."

Elise saw the pain and near tears starting in Phoebe eyes. "Why didn't you say something?"

"I don't know I thought it would go away. It isn't like I did anything. It just started the other day."

"Phoebe you should have said something."

"I know, and my sisters are going to say the same thing if they ever find out."

"You never told them?" Elise said in more shock then anything. She knew how close Phoebe was to her sisters.

"No. They have things going on, Piper with P3 and Paige just trying to get her life back in some kind of order from not working."

"Go home Phoebe and tell them. I'll figure this out. Maybe scanning it and printing it in your own writing isn't such a bad idea after all."

* * *

Phoebe lay with her head resting on Paige's lap, "So how was your date last night sis?" she smiled looking up at her baby sister.

"Well you know I never came home so that's all you are getting."

"I can live with my imagination. I'm beat I'll see you two in the morning." Phoebe got up and headed up the stairs turning in for the night.

Excruciating pain was all she felt. She rolled to one side and it continued. She tried to push herself to the other and it got worse. She lay on her back but again the pain throbbed in her shoulder. Pushing herself up she saw the numbered digits on the clock. 2:06. With each movement the tears fell silently down her face.

Laying back down she tried again. One side, the next, nothing was working,. Everything was only making it hurt even more: To the point she broke.

--- ----

Piper sat up hearing the familiar sound. Pulling back the covers she grabbed her robe and started down the hall. Pushing open her sisters' door her heart broke as she saw Phoebe sitting up on her bed clutching her arm and crying.

"Phoebs, sweetie?" she sat on the bed and reached out for her sister, but was surprised when Phoebe cried out and pulled away from her. "Phoebs what's wrong?"

"Oh God! It hu..uurts so baaa…..add." she choked out between cries of pain.

Piper didn't know what to do, her sister had been fine all night and now she was suddenly in more pain then she ever thought possible. "Where honey?"

"Sho…ulder. Make it sto….op." Phoebe just cried harder as the pain in her shoulder increased

Paige walked into Phoebes room, "What's going on?"

"Paige, go down stairs and get me some ice, and hurry please." Piper moved around to the other side of Phoebe and gently eased her sister towards her. "What's going on Phoebs?"

Phoebe took in a few deep breaths before getting her tears under control. "I don't know. It started a few days ago. It wasn't this bad. I thought it would go away."

"You should have said something."

"I know." She rested her head on Pipers shoulder while keeping her own in her hand. Easing off the pressure. "I just want to go back to sleep."

"Well Paige should be back soon with some ice. We can try that."

"No. It hurts to barely touch it. I don't want ice on it. I can't lay on one side cause it pulls down, I can't lay on it for obvious reason and I can't lay on my back because it pulls down. And I sure can't sleep like this all night." Phoebe wiped back some tears as the pain throbbed in and around her shoulder.

"What about the couch? You can rest your elbow on some pillows, that should keep the pressure off it."

Phoebe didn't move and Piper noticed she wasn't moving, "Come on honey, lets get you settled downstairs."

--- ----

Piper helped Phoebe get settled on the couch with a pillow under her elbow to help relieve some pressure to her shoulder. She then eased her sister back against her as Paige then tossed the blanket over the two of them. "You ok Phoebs?"

Piper ran her hand over the top of Phoebs head knowing it would help her sister go back to sleep.

"A bit. Sorry you two. I know I should have told you."

"Well we know now. So tomorrow we are going to see the doctor ,no arguing." Piper said with a tone for no argument.

"I was going anyway. When you wake up at two in the morning there is something wrong." Phoebe agreed as she felt the motion of Pipers hand as she closed her eyes. Her shoulder was still throbbing but with the pressure off and Pipers loving care she felt herself drifting off to sleep.

"Go to bed Paige, thanks."

"No problem. I'll see you in the morning."

---

Piper woke first, but didn't move. She ran her hand gently up and down Phoebes arm.

"Sorry." Phoebe spoke quietly

"For what sweetie?"

"Waking you up last night. Taking you away from Leo." She rested her head back on Pipers chest, "Not telling you there was something wrong."

"Hmmm that. Well just don't do it again? So what did you do anyway?"

"I have no idea. It just started to hurt the other day. I had to hand write my column yesterday, I couldn't even type it hurt so much." She shifted slightly but the sharp pain made itself known it hadn't gone anywhere.

Piper saw the look on Phoebes face and just placed her hand on her sister back. "Ok?"

"No." Phoebe answered through gritted teeth. "Oh this sucks."

Paige walked down the stairs and saw Phoebe sitting up holding on to her arms, "Phoebe?"

Piper caught Paige through a look and Paige went in search of something to help Phoebe with her pain.

Piper took hold of the bottle of Tylenol and gave Phoebe two. "Here this might help for a bit."

Phoebe took the capsules from her sister and eased back down. "Thanx."

"You are welcome. Now don't get to comfy on me sis, we have a Doc to go and see." Piper added in, as she eased away from Phoebe with care to not jostle her shoulder any more then need be.

* * *

Paige walked in the Manor later that afternoon to find Phoebe sleeping on the couch and Piper fussing in the kitchen.

"Well. What's up with Phoebe?" Paige asked as she sat up on the counter picking up an apple from the bowl.

"Some how she strained or pulled the muscle that controls the movement of her arm."

"Oh Ouch."

"Yeah, you should have seen her and _heard_ her when he had her arm in the air then he let go."

"Ohhh. Ouch again." Paige cringed almost hearing her older sister cry out in pain.

"Yeah. He gave her some pain killers and anti-inflammatory drugs. She's been pretty much out since we got home an hour ago."

"Hour? You left this morning?"

"Yeah someone talked me into letting her go to work for a bit before and after."

"Piper!"

"Oh Paige relax, she wasn't out of my sight the whole time. Couch in her office is actually quite comfortable." Piper smiled "Relax she's gonna be fine."

* * *

Phoebe settled on the couch for another night, as Piper pulled a blanket over top of her, "You ok?"

"Yeah,thanx again. The pillows help a bit."

"And the drugs I'm sure." Paige smiled across at Phoebe.

"Yeah them too." Phoebe agreed.

Pier leaned down and gave Phoebe a kiss on the cheek, "You pull anything like that again, I will summon Prue to kick your ass." She told her sister as her forehead rested on Phoebes

"Oh see that alone would get me to tell her anything little thing." Paige said with a smirk

"Yeah me too." Phoebe agreed with Paige, "I won't Piper I promise."

Piper just smiled and stood up, before sliding behind Phoebe.

"Owie. Just got comfortable."

"Sorry. But as Prue would tell you….."

"Yeah yeah, big sisters prerogative."

"And little sisters." Paige added in as she went and got comfortable in the armchair.

"Paige?"

"Well I can't sleep on the couch. You two are all spread out and I don't want to disturb Phoebes shoulder. So this will have to do."

* * *

Darkness drifted across the corners of the old Victorian, "I should go down and kick her ass anyway."

"Now now dear you know you can't."

"Not my point Grams."

Patty came up behind her oldest daughter and wrapped her arms around her safely. "Pipers got her and so does Paige. She'll be ok. She also knows in her heart that you have her too."

The three stood there watching the three left behind. Their love once again getting through and giving strength to their forever bond of love and sisterhood.


End file.
